NASI: Comp Benefits Hit Lowest Point Since 1980

Benefits paid to injured workers as a percentage of payroll dropped in 2015 to the lowest point since 1980, a trend that — depending on whom you ask — is either the result of safer workplaces or the whittling away of worker benefits. A report from the National Academy of Social Insurance found that the cost of benefits per $100 of covered wages averaged 86 cents in 2015, down from $1.01 in 2011. The 15-cent decrease consisted of an 8-cent reduction in medical benefits and 7-cent drop in cash benefits, according to NASI. Overall, workers’ compensation insu...